The other side of the wardrobe
by Selina Novella
Summary: Peter Edmund Susan and Lucy have been kicked out of Narnia returning to a London torn by the blitz. But by the Lion they won't give up without a fight! The four siblings deal with being Kings and Queens without a country and trying to return. No Incest
1. A jarring experiance

The Other Side of the Wardrobe

By Catriona McCormack

I do own several copies of the Chronicals but not the copy rights.

Numb. They stared at the wardrobe door, faces filled with shock, horror, and disbelief. Peter untangled himself from the pile and silently held out a hand to Susan who took it, their eyes never leaving the wardrobe door. Edmund and Lucy similarly stood, and it was Edmund who walked, like a man toward his death, to the wardrobe and parting the coats, pressed his child's hand against the wooden back. They stared at it, it was impossible. _Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrongwrongwrong**wrongwrongwrong**_! And it was Lucy who burst forward to hammer her tiny fists against the wall, her soft skin quickly becoming bruised and bloody. Peter stood, ramrod straight, his arm about Susan who stared tears flowing from her eyes, his own eyes dead. The way was shut. He was separated from his Kingdom. Their friends, their families, their country! _**WHY**_?!

The door burst open, and a stern unhappy looking woman with a pinched face glared at them. "What on earth are you doing!? Making such a rucus! I have told you to stay out of the way while I have visitors in the house and this is how you behave?!" She then stared at them, eyes taking in faces full of tears, Lucys bleeding hands, and the looks of dispair on their faces. "What on earth?" she murmured and softened slightly, "Is it your parents children? Was there news..." she drifted off.

Parents? The siblings looked at one another. Other people, creatures had parents, but they didn't, they didn't need them, they had Aslan, their tutors, and each other, and later their wives and husbands and children, but they didn't have parents. It was Susan who turned to the older woman, the manners ingrained in the Queen coming forward despite her tearful appearance. "No, We've not heard word of any sort."

Macready softened eyes narrowed again. "I don't know what's got into you four, but you'll be going without supper tonight! I can assure you of that!" and with that slammed the door, blocking out the curious tourists on the other side of the door.

They stared at the door, before Lucy gave a soft exclamation of pain and they turned to see her bleeding hands. Susan immediately darted forward to tend to her sisters wounds. Peter felt in his pockets until he fished out a handkerchief and wordlessly passed it to his sister who dabbed at the wounds gently.

Lucy seemed quite embarressed. "Please my sister, do not be much troubled at my account. It's easily remedied, once we return home and I can use my cord-" she fell silent.

Edmund stepped out of the wardrobe, to sit on the edge. Lucy was standing, Susan kneeling before her, Peter standing behind her. It was a position all had been in more then once, but the positions that were minutes ago second nature were now alien; small limbs, small fingers and mouths and ears, scratchy clothes, and bare foreheads were all wrong. Susan's hair was in braids rather then hanging down her back in the waves as it was accustomed to. Edmund's finger nails were rough from his old habit of biting them. Peter stared down at his naked left hand, his wedding ring nowhere to be seen. Lucy could feel the weight of a handkerchief in her pocket, a handkerchief she knew she had given away fifteen years ago, or was that an hour ago?

"What's to happen to us?" She whispered, looking to her eldest brother wanting him to know what to do. But he looked as unsure as herself.

"I know not." He murmured, slumping down against a wall, making sure to face the door in case of threat against what remained of his once large family. "But in Aslans name I shall not allow harm to come to thee."

Edmund spoke for the first time. "Henry was to turn four summers next moon." and Lucy flung her arms about her brother, the loss of her nephew making both rock with sobs. Susan embraced them both, her own tears continuing to fall. "Why wouldst Aslan allow this to occur?" she whispered. Peter shook his head, he didn't know.

Eventually they made their way downstairs, finding themselves lost several times in the unfamiliar mansion, before finally finding themselves in their own suite, barely recalled from the deepest of shadows within their memories. Peter had looked over his family and with Edmund's help pushed the boys beds together, leaving room for the four small children to fit easily and to try to push away their grief. Tired from their emotional exhaustion and mental strain the four had quickly fallen asleep, curled together as they had not been for many years, since that night long ago right before they had met Father Christmas, excluding Edmund, for whom it had been even longer.

They had awoken at noon the next day. Peter and Edmund had both spent time before the full length mirror in their underclothes, staring at unscared flesh, hairless and pale, muscles unused to sword fighting, hands unused to quills, both looked to their arms which were bare of the insignia of the Lion all knights of the order of the lion bore.

Susan was the one to finally suggest food. The siblings made their way downstairs, passing a puzzled maid who watched as the solemn faced children walked down the stairs, Peter and Susan first, Peter holding out his arm with Susan's hand lightly resting on it, Edmund and Lucy following behind in a similar fashion. They were such odd children she thought to herself, but then, London was an odd place, and with the war and all...still. Odd children. Almost noble she frowned to herself before returning to her dusting.

They entered the kitchen which was currently empty of any occupants. They looked around, lost, at the stove with it's dials, the refrigerator and ice box, not quite remembering exactly what they were for. Edmund eventually opened the fridge and pulled out vegetables and some sort of meat (the Professor had his own victory garden to supplement the food stamps given to each household) and looked questioningly to Susan. She swept over to the fire place (for you must remember the manor was very old, and modern conveniences were recent additions.) and stroked the fire, warming it while Peter began to cut and skin the vegetables, Lucy hunting through cabinets for spices.

It was a kind of dance if one was to watch, having been together for years and years they could read each other with a glance, so Edmund had no need to request some brandy from the decanter for Lucy had already poured him some and left it at his elbow, Susan needn't prime the handle of the pump in the sink as Peter had already done so and was waiting for her to fill the pot from it. And when Lucy started to cry softly Edmund was already there with a handkerchief and accepting her explanation of it being the fault of the onions she was cutting without question.

The stew, for that's what it was, was as close to a Narnian stew as Susan could make with the ingredients available, and though a bit watery it was enough to please the former rulers, sided with a soft loaf of bread. Stew in Narnia isn't like stew from our world. It starts off with a warm feeling rather like a wonderful hug, and it goes from your mouth all the way down your throat and into your belly and from there all over. It was filled with wonderful spices which seemed to tap your tongue as though to wake it up from a long winters nap and to see the spring outside. And while this was not quite Narnian stew, it was close enough to bring more tears to the eyes of the siblings.

"They shall be trying to return us home." Edmund said eventually.

Susan Peter and Lucy looked at him in confusion.

"Dost thou think our families and subjects wouldst accept our leave taking with nary a way to be sure of our wanting to go?" he pointed out practically, for such was Edmund's way. And their faces lit up with hope.

"Mayhap we have only to wait." Susan said excitedly, her eyes regaining their shine and the beauty that caused men from all over the lands surrounding Narnia to seek out her hand.

"Aslan shall set things to rights!" Lucy chimed in happily, always the quickest to grasp the silver lining.

Peter merely stood and clasped his now smaller brother to himself joyfully. "Truly what would We do without thee brother?" he laughed, and despite his age his laugh was still that of the High King of Narnia, younger perhaps, but it warmed the hearts of those who heard it.

"In the mean while, mayhap We shouldest view this as a respite." Edmund suggested. "A vacation of sorts, We might even see, Our parents?" he trailed off. None of them were quite sure what their parents looked like anymore. The idea of a Mother was easier to grasp then that of a Father, Mother sometimes appeared in the place between sleep and waking, but Father, Father was an unknown being, which if one was to think about it was not that unbelievable, as he had been gone for quite some time before the war started having been in Her Majesties infantry.

The suggestion brought feelings of mixed anticipation and nervousness. Lucy voiced her thoughts "Susan, what if the worst should occur and they should not like us?"

Susan immediately attempted to comfort her sister "Nay, for surely no parents could feel anything but pride for King Peter the Magnificent, King Edmund the Just and Queen Lucy the Valiant!"

"Not to forget Queen Susan the gentle." Peter cut in with a teasing grin.

The feeling within the room became a happy one and the rest of the holiday at the professors was spent both maintaining what they were in Narnia, and attempting to regain who they had been in Spare Oom as Lucy insisted on calling it and the others followed. Peter and Edmund spent hours outside the manor sparing with the rapiers they had discovered in a cupboard amongst brooms and buckets. Susan set to work with several bolts of fabric she had found in a long forgotten sewing room to attempt to recreate the clothes they had become accustomed to, her beautifully embroidered tunics, hose, shirts, dresses and cloaks were quite almost on par with those made by the dryads in her service from whom she had learned. Each tunic bore the owners insignia, for it was unsaid that all should know who they were. Boots were dealt with as best as they could be, Susan hardly about to begin the work of a cobbler with no previous experience. Lucy said she didn't like leather anyway as she quite preferred her animals alive which cheered Susan quite a bit.

And while the servants and Mrs. Macready commented on their suddenly gained table manors and courtly way of speak, in the end they decided to regard it as a blessing and never noticed the swords missing, or thought to question where the cloth had come from for their clothes, though Mrs. Macready gave a grumble about Mrs. Pevensie spending so much money on such frivolities during a war. Some people had a tendency to stick to the logic that made sense to them, so either the clothes had been there all along or they had not, and they chose the former.

When finally word came that the bombings of London had ceased, all over the country side children were beginning to be shipped home to their families, this was during a pause in the war, it was known that soon they were to be returned to their evacuation sites, indeed some had no homes to return to. Mrs. Pevensie wrote eagerly that their home was in good condition and she was awaiting them at Paddington station in London on the second Tuesday of June. Peter had to crumple up one reply having started with "His Royal Majesty the High King Peter..." only to have Susan point out his error with a gentle remonstration.

The night before they were to go back Lucy sat on their bed, her siblings asleep beside her, none had wanted to return to their own indivigual beds, not when they had all spent years married and had become used to a warm body beside them, if not more should one or more of their children wake with a nightmare and join their parents. The idea of sleeping alone was a repulsive one and so it was never brought up and they simply stayed as they had begun on their first night back.

Lucy looked out the window, it's black out curtains pushed to the side, and slight tears rolled down her face. She had been the first to go to Narnia and return, and so while the others did not know, she knew and remembered that time goes differently in Narnia, and so their being gone a month, would surely amount to at least a year or more of Narnia time, and that if Aslan wanted them home he would have likely done so by now. "Aslan," she whispered to the cold moon surrounded by unfamiliar constellations, made of stars who did not sing, "Please, whatever it was we did, please forgive us and let us come home." And though no one spoke she felt slightly better as a warm breeze with no particular source gently wafted over her face and a slight purr echoed softly in her ears before she curled up against Edmund and fell asleep.

The train station was **LOUD**. Loud and hot and full of steam and the cries of babies, children and animals. Parents shouted to find children, children shouted to find familiar faces of any sort. Horns blasted, whistles and joined in the cacophony that was the train station. To the Pevensie siblings it was a deafening hell. The ride over had been uncomfortable to begin with, all four feeling the loss of their carriages and horses. But when the lack of the familiar is mixed with the sour cocktail of smog smoke steam and oil, and the loud sounds of the trains themselves it had all four on edge. Lucy was crouched behind Edmund, the dagger she had found in a spare bedroom quick to hand should she feel a threat, the boys similarly kept putting hands to waist expecting the cold metal of their own swords, and Susan kept shifting to make up for the lack of a heavy quiver missing from her back. They were given several stares because of their clothing, but as it was war time everyone was wearing whatever they could get their hands on, some bordering on the ridiculous, and so most decided these children had been living with some sort of actor and were wearing costumes. Susan had urged them into their own carriage and shut the doors and windows preferring stuffiness to the pollution assaulting their senses outside.

Peter had Lucy leaning against him, trying to cheer his younger sister up from her sorrow.

"I feel like a child again Brother." she admitted with a sigh. "Weak and vulnerable and small. I miss Gaudior, I haven't been away from him since I was sixteen when we were married. And I want to hold our children. Branwen was to lose another tooth soon I think. And Aslyn is still nursing, will Gaudior have found a wet nurse to take care of her?"

Peter buried his face in her hair, feeling he could still smell Narnia in the soft strands. "I am sure Aslan will take care of all our children. No doubt Frank, Ananda, Jareth and Ewen are still causing chaos for their tutors." he gave a slight smile at the thought of his and Susan's children.

Susan lent against Edmund, something made slightly awkward with their size differences now, but still manageable. "Queen Zillah will take care of our Kingdom in our absence brother. And Prince Japheth, Princess Senna and Prince Gaudior will do their best to aid her. She shall not be alone, and they shall care well for our children."

Edmund forced a smile. "No doubt the Beavers are spoiling them rotten Lu." he added. "Mrs. Beaver probably made a cake big enough to fill the great hall for Henry's birthday."

"And Crown Prince Frank probably tried to get the first piece." Lucy grinned up at Peter, who gave a long suffering sigh. "We'll train him out of it eventually. Ananda has no problems deflating his ego a bit, crown prince or no."

"Nor does Jareth." Edmund grinned. The outside world faded away despite the noise as the siblings began to speak of their families with joy and laughter. "Remember when Ananda and Jareth decided to play hide and seek in the shooting ranges?" Susan asked with a shudder.

Peter winced. "Those two were forever getting into trouble. You'd think them twins rather then cousins."

"And fauns rather then sons of Adam." Lucy chirped laughing.

Edmund shook his head. "I'm only glad that Henry is still stuck in the nursery for another year."

Peter shook his head. "Don't be so sure. I've lost the number of times I've found him or Elspeth hiding under my desk in the office, or under the table in the war room."

"Or in the kitchens." Lucy added

"Or the spinning rooms." Susan resignedly pointed out

Edmund scowled. "One would think they could magic open doors."

Peter looked thoughtful. "We've yet to prove they can't."

Susan smiled "My Ewen told me he plans to be a centaur when he grows up." she told her laughing siblings. "Only to be informed by Elspeth that she would be a unicorn, so there."

"Frank practices being king by bossing around his cousins and sister." Peter said with a sigh.

Lucy grinned. "Wait till next year when he starts battle training with Orelius. That shall put things in perspective, he may be magnificent yet."

"I don't know that Henry will ever be Just." Edmund said. "Did I tell you what happened with the peace conferences with the wild Nymphs of the western woods? He comes walking in, happy as you please, looks around at everyone in the hall and turns to the chieftaness of the nymphs and tells her "Why are you naked? It's Autumn. you're sposed ta wear clothes!" I'd never seen a nymph blush before."

The others laughed. Susan looked upwards in reflection. "Do you remember that horrible time when we thought my Japheth had died during the giant wars, and I had to visist Tashbaan to meet Prince Rapidash to see if he would have made a suitable husband? Elspeth chose that time to go threw her tantrum phase and kept throwing anything within reach at him?"

Ed grinned. "I would have too if I thought I could have gotten away with it. Actually it was me that gave her that butter knife."

Susan looked horrified "That was you?! She barely missed stabbing him in the eye with it!"

Lucy laughed remembering the look on his face. "He looked ready to fertilize his trousers."

"We almost fought a war over that!" Susan raged

"We ended up fighting one over you leaving him anyway." Peter pointed out practically, which Susan had to admit was true.

The sun was falling in the sky when the train finally pulled into Paddington Station. Peter and Edmund swung out of the car, taking suitcases from Lucy and Susan before aiding their sisters in getting down from the higher car. They automatically fell into their guard position, Peter in front with Edmund and Lucy to either side with Susan in center, though the situation did not require their protecting their archer. The steam cleared slowly and the four went to the gate, awaiting their mother.

"I do hope she recognises us." Susan shouted into Peters ear over the noise. "I'm not sure we'll recognise her!" Peter nodded his accent, not bothering to try to yell over the din.

"PETER! EDMUND SUSAN LUCY!" a joyous cry came from the crowd, they turned to watch a kind looking woman rush toward them, hair hair in a standard bun, her clothing those rationed out to Londoners by the government, her smile though was radiant, and Lucy could see Susan in her face, and Peter in her hair. This observation was interrupted by her arms surrounding her in a quick squeeze before wrapping around each of her siblings in turn. "How are you? How's the professor? Did you have a good time? Look at your outfits, where on earth did you get them? Oh and Susan your hair looks lovely, you've all grown up so much!"

Susan gave her gracious smile and hugged the woman back gingerly. "Hello Mother, how are you?" she asked politely.

Edmund gave the same smile he used in the Narnian courts to cover nervousness or doubt. "You look lovely." he added to his sisters statement.

Helen (for that was her name) looked at her children strangely. They were, different. They stood differently. Backs straight, heads held high, and the way they stood together, as though used to being watched and holding respect. Their eyes were old, far older then they had the right to be. Susan's hair was indeed lovely, it was done in a complex braid pattern she had never seen before, encrusted with gold colored wire. Lucy's hair was loose as it was far to short to do anything as beautiful with, but it was still longer then it had been, and it had two small braids along the sides that met in the back in a sort of crown. Peter stood protectively behind his siblings, blocking any possible stranger from getting at them, and was keeping a weary eye on her! But it was Edmund who had seemed to have changed the most. For one he was SMILING. And while it did not entirely meet his eyes it was still a kindly smile, one she had not seen since he had gone off to boarding school. Her eyes filled with tears. "Edmund!" she cried and wrapped her arms around her youngest son who looked at his siblings in confusion and shock over this sudden out pouring of emotion. He patted her on the shoulder, frowning at his diminutive stature, keeping him from the strong man he had become.

Susan gracefully gained her mothers attention and lead her out into London proper, waving down a taxi with a grace and poise unknown to most twelve year olds.

****

Authors note-well I've been wanting to write this for a while. I have some bits from the movies, a lot from the books and some from my imagination. I've loved Narnia since I was about five years old, but it's only recently when I saw Prince Caspian and found Aslan again that I fell in love again. I am quite proud of this and plan to write another chapter. For easier aid I shall write a time line-

**Narnian year**-

**1000**- the events of the Lion the witch and the wardrobe occur, Peter is 13, Susan 12, Edmund 10 and Lucy 8.

**1001-04** they adjust to being rulers of a nation with Aslan's guidance and comings and goings

**1005** Peter marries Zillah from Archland he is 18 at the time. Midway threw the year they have their first child, a son named Frank

**1006** Susan marries Japheth of the western woods, also aged 18.

**1007** Peter and Zillah have their second child a girl named Ananda. Lucy marries Gaudior from Lantern waste with Aslans blessing at the age of 16. Susan and Japheth have their first child a son named Jareth.

**1008** Susan and Japheth have their second child a son named Ewen.

**1009** Edmund marries Senna a minor noble of the lone islands at the age of 19

**1010-11** are fairly uneventful family wise.

**1012** Henry is born to Edmund and Senna, Elspeth is born to Susan and Japheth.

**1013** Japheth goes to war with the Narnian army against the Giants and is believed dead. Branwen Lucy and Gaudiors daughter and first child is born. Tension rises between Calormen and Narnia.

**1014** Peter joins with the Narnian army and leads it to victory against the giants. In order to reach peace between Narnia and Calormen Susan journeys in the company of Edmund and Lucy to meet Prince Rabadash of Tashbaan (much to her children's dissatisfaction).

**1015** Lucy and Gaudiors second daughter is born named Aslyn in honor of Aslan. The siblings ride in a hunt after the white stag who is said to grant wishes and come through the wardrobe.

My time line sources are as follows, C.S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, The Land of Narnia by Brian Sibley, and Disney and Walden Media's Chronicles of Narnia with my own bits thrown in. I do not claim to own any of it with the exception the siblings husbands, wives and children. Gaudior, Ananda, and Zillahs names come from Madeline L'Engles A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Japheth comes from her Many Waters book. Jareth comes from Labyrinth. The rest I pulled out of thin air for the most part, except for Aslyn someone else came up with that, a fanfic writer whom I can't find, and she was Susan's daughter in that story, so that's not mine. Let me know what you think!

And just in short

Peter married Zillah and had two children Frank and Ananda

Susan married Japheth and had three children Jareth, Ewen and Elspeth

Edmund married Senna and had one son Henry

Lucy married Gaudior and had two daughters Branwen and Aslyn


	2. Lucy's rather bad day

The Other Side of the Wardrobe

chapter 2

Catriona McCormack

Lucy's POV-

Lucy stared with annoyance at her bookshelf in her and Susan's room in Finchley. It wasn't that she minded sharing a room with Susan, after all, all four siblings had been sharing a bed for a little less then a month, and before that had shared her room and bed with her husband Gaudior. It wasn't the size either which Lucy cheerfully told herself was cozy rather then cramped. And it wasn't that the sheets were scratchy, they were only to wear their Narnian attire while at home and that food was hard to come by at all much less food of Narnian quality. It was the contents of her book shelf that frustrated her.

Back in Narnia all four monarchs had been given a rigorous education, not only in maths, reading, and history, but in geography, astronomy, legends of Narnia, healing, and in the case of the girls, sewing, knitting, needle work, and for both boys and girls etiquette, dance and how to speak, address letters, make speeches, ceremonies, how to write laws, horse riding, preside over weddings and for the boys how to fight, tactics, and strategy, which Lucy and Susan had insisted on being taught as well. So it is not entirely surprising that Lucy frowned looking upon her bookshelf and seeing such works as "Fun with Dick and Jane", "Spot the Dog" and even more exciting the grade two primer, "Friends and neighbors". Lucy was naturally a very optimistic individual, but even she could not get any fun out of "see spot run".

She decided her best bet was to look at Susan's bookcase, but it was full entirely of such books as Dr. Dillar's Essay on Patience, (which would bore any girl to tears) various cook books (which only made her hunger for Narnian fare, or indeed food at all), a Bible which remained covered in dust (her family went to an Anglican church where the liturgy was done in Latin and therefor the Bible in English was of little use and had been a gift from a grandmother who always smelt of furniture polish), and in the end, no books of any interest. It took her half an hour of wandering about until she found a book of Sherlock Holmes mysteries (which had been her fathers before he went off to war) and had curled herself eagerly in the space of a window seat, her knees pressed up to the sides in order to hold up the book which was quite almost as big as she was.

Susan was with their Mother in London shopping as best as ration cards allowed for "suitable" clothes to avoid their having to wear the Narnian clothes Susan herself had made. Peter and Ed were off at a neighborhood football match, attempting to work off the energy they could no longer burn off in the practice fields nor sparing together as they had at the Professors. It had taken Lucy all of three hours even with her siblings aid to convince her mother that she was perfectly capable of remaining home by herself, that she knew what to do in the event of an air raid siren going off, and no she would certainly not get lonely. So for the first time in the three days they had returned Lucy was able to be herself without constantly checking herself for various habits now unsuitable for the eight year old girl she was believed to be.

She opened the book to "The Sign of Four" and fell into the unfamiliar world of Holmes's London, frowning at Mr. Holmes habbit of taking drugs in order to stave off the stagnation of mind caused by an utter lack of mental stimulation. The thought entered her mind that her own siblings might fall to the same vice, before firmly promising herself to fight that possibility as best as was in her ability.

It was well toward tea time when the front door opened and Susan and Helen entered the living room with precious few bags containing what clothing they could scavenge from the various shops still open. Lucy was well into the novel by now, following Watson and Holmes as they attempted to aid a Miss Morstan, when Mrs. Pevensie gave a gasp from the door way and wrenched the book from Lucy's surprised fingers.

"Lucy this is not a book for young ladies!" she lectured sternly while Lucy and Susan both blinked in complete shock. "Full of murders and Lord knows what else! I never approved of your father reading these and I certainly will not allow my children to do so! Go to your room!" Lucy stared at Susan in complete bafflement. No one had told her what she could or could not do other then Peter in years, and such orders were usually regarding whether she could go into battle or not, certainly not about her choice of reading material! The idea was ridiculous, telling a grown and married woman she could not read a book. But she remembered as tears filled her brown eyes, it was not ridiculous. She was a child here, and as such her mother viewed it as her duty to protect her from such negative realities much as she tried to protect her own daughters.

She stood and made her way passed an appologetic looking Susan and her frowning mother back to her room, back to utter bordom and in all likely hood, no supper.

Helens POV-

Helen sighed at the sight of her youngest daughter sent to bed, still standing in the middle of the room. She looked tired, far more tired then someone her age ought to look. Rather then the relatively young age of 38 she was she appeared in her fifties. The war wore on her greatly, her husbands missing plate stung her heart every time she set the table. She was not that old when he had gone off to war and still very much in love with him. Her children's odd behavior hurt her as well, why were they so grown up? Lucy wouldn't have shown any inclination to read a book, any book, much less one about crime full of words and ideas she should not understand, before they left for the Professors, would have chosen to play dolls or draw instead. The differences she had noticed at the train station had not lessened, rather had become more and more apparent to her mothers eyes.

For one, the way they all deferred to Peter. Before the trip Edmund had greatly resented the authority Peter attempted to place over him, now that had turned to a deep respect on both parts, Edmund following his elder brothers orders, and Peter listening to Edmund's thoughts and ideas before making any decision. Susan worked with Peter as partners, each using a practiced manor in working together, and she too listened to Edmund's advice with careful deliberation as though it were worth it's weight in gold. Lucy had always loved and respected her elder brother, but now she curtsied to him at times!

And the boys manners too, they always stood when any female came into the room, Peter would lead in grace without being prodded, though it seemed at times like he was not speaking to a man at all and never mentioned the Lords name through out the whole thing! Edmund aided Lucy without being asked to clean the house, and both Susan and Lucy had begun needle points without complaints of sitting still when previously Lucy could barely keep from wriggling with energy and excitement and end up terribly knotting her thread. Susan had been better at sitting, but her stitch work had advanced by leaps and bounds, better even the Helen's own! It was unnatural and upsetting and confusing and she was at wits end at what to do.

Seeing Lucy reading such a book, especially when it was full of words no eight year old should know, had been to much and she had, at wits end sent her youngest to bed. She regeted it now but she could hardly take it back. That would make her seem weak before her children, which was something her own mother had told her early on could not be allowed.

She picked up the bags in her arms and carried them into the kitchen, pulling out the fabrics she had been talked into buying by Susan, despite her own proven inability to sew clothing, trying to ignore Susan's disappointed stare. She set about starting dinner, Susan helping her wordlessly, radiating her feelings, making the small room feel stifled. Susan's ease with a knife was noted as well as she peeled and chopped vegetables, but this at least was possible to blame on the professors lack of a decent house keeper.

By the time the boys had returned a rather sad looking beet and chicken roast was in the oven and a loaf of flat bread was being added to as best as possible. Peter strode through the door, pausing to kiss his sisters cheek with familiar fondness, not pausing his debate with Edmund over what seemed to be German and English war tactics, and with a noticeably more forced casualness kissed her own check, Edmund following his brothers actions, still speaking his comparison of a recent skirmish to a battle somewhere called "Etinsmore" wherever that was.

Peter abruptly stilled and turned from the table and said, quiet power radiating from him. "Where is Lucy?"

Edmund turned to frown at the four place settings and looked to Susan (not to her. not to his own mother!) for answers along with Peter.

Susan replied with (was that a sneer?!) "She has been sent to bed without supper."

Peter rounded on her and, it was to her surprise she found herself trembling from her 13 year old sons gaze. "On what charges?"

"She was reading a book, something she shouldn't have, it, it's not appropriate for her age." she stammered, trying to force up the courage to look her own son in the eyes.

"What book?" he looked to Susan who nodded toward the coffee table in the living room where Sherlock Holmes still laid innocuously. Peter strode, his pace hard, to pick up the book and began to page through it. Edmund walked over to join him, peering over Peters shoulder, a frown crossing his face. Peter finally looked up, his eyes meeting his brothers, and Helen knew a conversation was going on she was not being let in on. Peter glanced to Susan, who gave a look she could not read, before Peter left the room, entering the girls room and closing the door after him. Edmund turned and began to aid Susan in setting the table all without saying a word.

What had happened to her family? She wished desperately for her husbands guidance.

Peters POV-

Peter entered the unlit room and looked down at one of the twin beds where Lucy lay sprawled, staring at the ceiling with an unusual expression on her face.

"Lu?" he said softly

"I've been sent to my room Peter." she said in quiet "I, Queen Lucy the Valiant, Lady of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands, wife of Prince Gaudior and mother of Branwen and Aslyn, one of the four rulers chosen by Aslan himself, have been sent to my room." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know what to feel Peter. Glad our Mother cares I suppose, that's what I'd usually say." She turned fully to face him. "But I can't seem to feel that this time. This time I just want to be home."

Peter knelt at her side, gently brushing a strand of hair on her forehead. "I know. I want to go home too. But Aslan will bring us home when the time is right."

Lucy smiled. "You're right of course. Anyway, go on, supper will be ready soon. I can smell it."

Peter frowned. "I'm sorry about Mother. I think she knows not what to do with us."

Lucy nodded and turned to look out the window only to see the black out paper taped to it.

Peter gathered her into a hug murmuring "Lion bless you little sister."

Lucy hugged him back and he turned and left the room.

Helen's POV-

Supper that night was a tense affair. The remaining siblings felt Lucy's absence acutely, her lack of chatter and cheerfulness normally held the conversation afloat. Without her it was quiet save for the clink of knife and fork on plate. Helen no longer had an idea what to converse with her children about, and so nothing was said at all aloud, though several conversations went on without being said, Susan and Edmund both asking Peter how Lucy fared with mere looks and small gestures.

So when the doorbell rang it was a welcome interuption. Peter stood from the table and went to answer the door, automatically taking the place of the head of the family as he had been in Narnia.

He opened the door to a slight drizzle, the day cloudy damp and humid. The ringer of the doorbell proved to be a post man, who wordlessly offered a packet of letters out to the eldest Pevensie. Peter took them with a nod and shut the door after him, turning to return to the dining room, and shuffled through them.

His eyes turned to show a slight warmth as he handed one to his mother. "From Father." he said with a smile

Helen leaped from her seat in excitement, tearing open the envelope and calling "Lucy! Lucy come quickly! A letter from your father!"

Lucy came out of the girls room, and knelt at Peters side, leaning her head on his knee as he sat on his chair. Susan sat next to him, her hand reaching out to hold his while Edmund sat cross legged next to Lucy, looking at his mother with grave eyes while she read aloud.

"_Dear Helen, Peter,Susan,Ed, and Lucy,_

_I am writing from Algeria where we're are currently stationed with several other regiments of his majesties army. Most of the battles thus far have been skirmishes, in an attempt to keep the French fleets capture by the krauts to aid their army. Prime Minister Churchill is often listened to via radio, and while I can not tell you much it is quite exciting to hear of all going on. I pray you are all safe and well and having no problems with the De Levars down the road. We have been warned that French born citizens may spy on good English families for the Germans in order to save their families in France from being hurt. And while we can of course feel sorry for them the prices of this war is far to high to allow such sympathy to cause us to ignore spies in our own midst._

_I can now tell you a bit about my flight over here, as the required silence period has passed. The air planes are so loud my dears, far louder then anything I've ever heard before in my life, the trip was long, and cramped due to several regiments sent over together. The views however my darlings were incredible. I wish I could show them to you, perhaps after the war ends we can have a trip, perhaps even to America!_

_I must tell you it is quite odd fighting for the freedom of the French, when for so many years at school we were taught of the violent relations Britain had with them for centuries, yet here we are, and of course they're hardly lead by a monarchy anymore. Still the enemy of my enemy and all that, though I do hope it doesn't come to the point where we have to side with the Russians, they are quite wild and mad I've heard stories from some of my mates here._

_I wish with all my heart I was there with you all, far from this war as possible, but it is my duty to our King and country to defend it, and seeing what I have, it is my duty as a human being to fight the Reich._

_Peter, take care of your siblings, keep an eye on Edmund and Lucy, they'll be getting into mischief as all children do. Susan help your Mum as best you can, she's got much to do to provide for all of you. Ed and Lucy please help your brother and sister, and mind your mother. I love you all, and miss you dearly._

_With love,_

_Father_"

Helen sniffed and dabbed at wet eyes with a hankie before looking up at her children. They looked back at her, gentle smiles on their faces, comforting her, their mother. Susan laid her hand on Edmund's shoulder and he leaned back against her knees.

"It'll be alright Mum." she said softly. "Wars are messy horrible things, but Algeria is far from Germany."

"And I've heard Prime Minister Churchill on the radio, he's quite competent. An excellent tactician." Peter agreed gently. "And he's courting the governments of America too, and if they should side with us it's sure to mean victory, their numbers are far superior to those of Germany, and their weaponry is on par as well."

"With Britian and America attacking from the west and south, India and China from the east and no where to gain aid from in the north we'll beat them soon." Edmund added. Lucy nodded.

Helen nodded tremulously, to happy to be questioning her children's sudden knowledge of war tactics, slightly outdated as they were. "Well then, off to bed children." she murmured softly, blowing her nose so that she missed her children's surprised looks at one another and when she raised her eyes to them Edmund was offering Lucy a hand up, while Peter escorted Susan to the girls bedroom.

"Sleep well my dears!" she called after them.

3rd POV-

Edmund flung himself across Susan's bed and sighed after Peter closed the door. "If only Orelius could see us now, aye Peter? Sent to bed with the sun barely abed an hour."

Peter managed a grin. "No doubt he'd tell us that such is the way of mares and their foals."

Lucy wrinkled her nose in amusement from her bed next to Susan who had pulled out a bit of needle work that she worked on absently while listening. "I am quite sure I never saw you or Susan send Frank, Ananda or Jareth to bed this early normally." she murmured looking to Peter and Susan questioningly, both of whom shook their heads. Her eyes widened suddenly. "By the Lion, I'm younger then Frank now!"

Peter gave a soft laugh. "We're all not far off. I wonder if when we go back we'll go back to being adults or have to grow up all over again?"

Edmund frowned. "I should jolly well hope not Highness, our wives and husbands should be our mothers age to us!"

Susan looked up from her needlework to switch threads. "Ewen would have loved this. He always enjoyed stories of magic and time travel."

"Its a pity we forgot our own story to tell him at the time!" Lucy chirped with a laugh.

Peter nodded his agreement, and glancing in the mirror on Susan's small vanity stood and began to pace. "The thing is, we've seen no sign that anythings being done at home to bring us back, so perhaps it's time we did some searching of our own."

Susan raised incredulous eyebrows. "Well I'll just go ask the court magician shall I? I'm sure he'll have us back in no time!"

Edmund shook his head. "Maybe not Su, but there are sure to be books on the subject. We can't have been the only people EVER to go to other worlds from here. Logically," he paused and winked at his eldest sister, "there would have so be at least one other if not dozens. And possibly they wrote about it."

"But the chances of that..." Susan began to argue

"It won't do us any good whether there have been or not if we don't look." Lucy pointed out staving off an argument. Susan had to admit this was true and so the four planned to visit as soon as possible the closest library, which Edmund pointed out, they would need to ask their mother about. For this Lucy was chosen as it was more likely that an eight year old would not know where a local library was located then a twelve or thirteen year old.

**Authors note**

I had to re-write this a bit after I had looked up time line wise what was going on in WW2 at the time. (which was a bit frustrating as I had to give up a plot line I had thought of.) So now we begin to have a purpose here in London. I think in all the fics I've read thus far, none of them think to search for a way back via anything other then Aslan or the wardrobe, and it seems to me, that I would visit a library and search if my first two ideas didn't pan out.

I am aware that they have returned home a bit early, but it would be no fun plot wise if they did nothing but stay at the Professors for several years, so I am going to claim writers lisence on this. -

Sherlock Holmes was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the sign of four is one of the stories there in.

History wise I am attempting to make this as accurate as possible, and if you see I've made a mistake please please please let me know so that I do not unknowingly make an error.

I put the Bible on Susan's shelf for a reason, and rest assured it shall re-appear later, for now however, it remains covered in dust until it's called on.

Please review and let me know what you think of Helen. Thank you!


	3. Holiday at the Scrubbs

The Other Side of the Wardrobe

By Catriona McCormack

chapter 3

The trip to the library was not to be immediately had however. Lucy voiced the request to their mother, who shook her head and told her she was keeping her youngest away from books for a while, causing Lucy to have to fight down an indignant retort. Instead, Helen told the children, they would be making a visit before school started again in the fall. To an Aunt Alberta, Uncle Harold and their cousin Eustace. It only reinforced Helen's fears when the siblings did not immediately beg not to be forced to go. Truthfully however, they had simply forgotten anything about these relatives, so they did not feel much other then a vague sense of foreboding.

Aunt Alberta and Uncle Harold were modernists. This was probably in response to the fact that because Harold had a limp and therefore could not join the forces, they were looked down upon by their neighbors, causing them to return the favor and become as unlike them as possible. Alberta and Harold had a son named Eustace Clarence, and to them there was no finer boy anywhere. He was brought up surrounded by books on psychology, the pointlessness of religion, and the idea that war is a ghastly thing for cretins with no brains and that the solution to all anxiety was meditation. He was also a horrid little brat.

When the Pevensies exited the cab they had ridden in to the Scrubbs house, it was with apprehension that they looked at the far too neat lawn. One could measure the grass with a ruler and find that every piece was exactly the same length Edmund thought.

Helen rang the door bell, and it opened shortly to reveal a tall thin woman, dressed in a white blouse and and crisply ironed skirt. Her nose was thin and long, her mouth had a perpetually dissatisfied look to it and as she was farsighted she tended to squint a lot. Her hair was in a short bob.

She glanced at the family, taking in her sister-in-laws haggard appearance, shadows under her eyes and rumpled dress with a sniff, before turning to her nieces and nephews. That Peter boy was standing at his mothers right, his face blank of emotion, his feet slightly apart, shoulders back, and un-intimidated by her as he (and his siblings) had been in years past. His bag sat at his feet leaving both hands free and his hair was far too long, past his ears like some barbarian.

Susan stood to his left, a polite smile fixed on her pretty face, her hair (which was far too long as well Alberta thought) up and in a complex weave. She held her suitcase in one hand, the other holding Lucy's hand.

Edmund stood to his mothers left, and in Alberta's opinion had taken a change for the worse since she had last seen him. His face was smooth of resentment and anger, he met her eyes calmly, and seemed to be judging HER. His hair was similar to his brothers and he held both his own and presumably Lucy's suitcase as Lucy was not holding one.

Lucy herself stood slightly in front of her mother and Edmund, a happy welcoming smile on her face, which dimmed slightly at Alberta's sneer.

The childrens clothing was quite unacceptable. Clearly home made, (done by Susan not that she knew that) almost modern were it not for the length of the skirts, which brushed the floor, the crests that decorated each siblings right breast, and the odd collars and hemlines. Alberta hoped that they wouldn't corrupt her Eustace Clarence with their oddness.

"Hello Alberta." greeted Helen after an uncomfortable pause. "How are you?"

Alberta sniffed and stood aside to let them pass into her clean house. "Dreadful. My headaches have returned, worse then ever."

Helen looked sympathetic as they came into the house but had little time to say anything before a sneering voice came from the stairs from the form of a small pudgy boy about six years old, with short cropped hair, small beady eyes and clothes that looked to be starched to the limit and extremely uncomfortable.

"Alberta, who are they?" he demanded looking down at his cousins and aunt with utmost dislike.

"This is Harold's sister, Helen, and her offspring, Eustace Clarence. They are coming to stay, for a time." Alberta replied in almost exactly the same tone. Eustace had been taught from a young age by his parents to call them by their first names as calling them Mum or Dad was a mental enslavement on children in their opinion.

"They can't stay in my room. Why are there so many of them? Don't they know it's uncivilized to have so many children?" Eustace said looking over the four on the landing bellow.

Edmund frowned slightly, his eyes meeting his cousins, an unspoken challenge in them. Eustace was the first to glance away.

"I'm going to my room Alberta!" he declared "Make sure they don't eat my special vitamins." he then dashed up the stairs, making no effort to silence his loud footsteps.

Peter and Susan exchanged a glance, Edmund placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, who was watching the events wide eyed that any child could be that unlikeable. Alberta turned to Helen.

"Your room is in the back Helen, past the kitchen. Children, you are split by boys and girls, and put in the old servants quarters. You are guests in my home. There shall be no misbehaving while under my roof. No shouting, screaming or running, you must ask either myself or Harold before handling anything that does not belong to you. Eustace's room is off limits unless he invites you in. Food is given at meal times, not between. You will eat what you are given, without complaint. Also, I do not allow interactions," she paused meaningfully looking at Peter and Susan "of an indecent nature, therefore no guests are to be invited during your stay here. Now I have to get to work. I have already held up my schedule for you." and with that, exited out the door and drove away.

Helen sighed before clapping her hands with forced cheerfulness. "Well, come on children, lets get settled in."

The four exchanged looks of disbelief before taking their bags in hand and walking to the servants quarters, reached at the end of the house by a narrow stair. The Scrubs being a liberal family did not of course have servants any longer, and so the rooms previously used to house them were converted into guest rooms that doubled as storage space.

Peter and Edmund settled into one room while the girls settled into the other, all four feeling rather disappointed, it was only when Lucy gave a cry of excitement that Peter and Edmund rushed into the girls room to see what was the matter.

"Lu?" Edmund questioned, turning to see what she was staring at with such delight. It was a picture, an oil painting, of a beautiful ship sails at full mast on choppy blue seas, each wave crested with white foam. But it was the flag at the top of the ship that had caught the youngest queens attention.

"Narnia." she breathed in excitement.

And it was, the sun combined with a lions face on a blue background was the same flag that had flown above Ca er Paravel for the fifteen years of their reign. It flew proudly over the immobile ship, the dragon bow front was magnificently Narnian looking, and Susan blinked away tears, reaching forward to touch the painting with trembling fingers.

Lucy felt that it was both a horrible and wonderful sight, because being able to look at it and say, here, here was proof of Narnia, but at the same time they were so far from their families and loved ones that it caused a deep ache in all four chests. She missed her baby, missed being a mother, a wife, a queen, a grown up.

Peter wrapped his arm around his littlest sister protectively, knowing precisely how she was feeling, missing Zillah, Frank and Ananda with the same pang of loss. "We'll find them again my Queen. And until then we shall stay together, none shall force us apart." Lucy turned to bury herself in his arms.

Edmund was smiling. "If there is a painting of Narnia in this world, then there have most certainly been people who have been there before." he pointed out "and returned to tell about it, which points to there being books on the subject as well."

Susan just nodded, heart aching for Japheth and her children.

-------

Within a week all four Pevensies had decided Eustace was the biggest nuisance they had ever come across. Peter and Edmund thought longingly of being stuck in the quick sands of the Narnian wetlands when faced with the idea of afternoon tea with "that foul little beast". Susan who was not for no reason called the gentle queen, attempted to make friends with him, only to have him inform her that he thought her quite the stupidest girl he'd ever met. Her efforts were useless and in the end she gave it up as a bad job. Lucy tried the hardest, not actively seeking him out, but with kind acts here and there, allowing him the last biscuit at tea for example. Eustace however was quite sure this was merely his due, and had his cousins not come to stay all the briquettes would have certainly been his anyway (not that they were very good biscuits. they were the kind made with fake sugar that not even people with rations want to get. But Alberta thought it healthy.)

Eustace was of a similar opinion to that of his cousins regarding him. That they were quite insufferable, stupid and bothersome, with no manners, and was fond of voicing his opinions in their hearing to his parents, who seemed rather then embarrassed by their sons attitude seemed to take it as a thing of pride that their son was above such silly flights of imagination as the Pevensie children seemed to be on all the time. Their sharp eyes had not missed their nieces and nephews behavior, and viewed it as a sign of their emotional retardation, especially in comparison to Eustace Clarence. They weren't very fond of Helen either, and the Kings and Queens wondered to each other exactly why their Mother felt this was a good place to spend time at all when she was clearly as miserable as they were, but seemed to take it with all the resistance of a wet sponge.

As a result of this current unpleasantness, the four siblings found themselves isolating together even more then previously, when they had at least attempted to interact with their Mother. After clearing up the breakfast dishes (which was a rather novel experience for those who had, for the past 15 years been Kings and Queens and had other things to do beside clean dishes) the four would gather up in the girls room and talk for hours about Narnia, Aslan, and their families. This ended up having a rather upsetting event as a result however.

-------

It had been a typical morning thus far, Susan waking up at her normal early time to find Lucy still asleep and snoring softly next to her. She slipped quietly from the bed, tip toed downstairs and began breakfast. Aunt Alberta, Uncle Harold and Eustace always ate a very boring breakfast of bran flakes and milk with no sugar, a vitamin and a glass of water. Susan the very first morning had seen this and refused to allow her family to eat such tasteless food. As a result from then on she woke every morning early to prepare, as best she could with the ingredients available to her, the most Narnian breakfast she could. She always offered some to the rest of the house, but the Scrubbs turned their noses up at such fair, and her mother wanting so badly to please her brothers family sadly ate the bland breakfast instead.

She set out a pot and began to make oatmeal, setting out the honey she'd begged from a nearby vendor to sell her, despite not having quite enough in their stamps, and milk next to it, setting it to warm slowly on the stove to make it soft and sweet rather then the hard lumpy mess that was often made by accident. She added milk and water together in another pot, milk being hard to come by, gently stirring in a bit of chocolate off the tops of several biscuits she'd found had gone stale, with cinnamon, vanilla, peppermint from a small plant Lucy had found growing wild in the side yard, and the tiniest touch of salt, to add a bit of a twist to the taste which most people missed or over did.

The hot cocoa was bubbling merrily, the oatmeal filling the air of the cold kitchen with warm homey smells, and Susan was working on a pot of tea when Peter stepped down the stairs, kissing her cheek in a wordless good morning, and went to set the small breakfast table. The two worked together, neither speaking, just enjoying the mornings stillness and each others company, until Aunt Alberta had stumbled down the stairs, her hair in disarray, in a pink robe that was equally rumpled and flopped into the chair at the end of the table, helping herself to the coffee Susan had put out for her aunt and uncle, and grunting what might have been a good morning or might have been a declaration of disgust, it was to muffled in her coffee cup to be understood properly. Aunt Alberta wasn't her usual prim unhappy self until she'd had a cup of coffee, Susan had discovered, and while she was hardly likeable usually, she was worse in the early mornings, grumpy and tending to snap at anything that moved until the caffeine was in her system.

"Making some fancy thing again Susan Elise?" She growled to the girl stirring the oatmeal at the stove. "You are an embarrassment to our gender. Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, that's all you'll ever amount to. Bet all you think about is catching a husband." she gave an unpleasant snort.

Susan did not say anything but stirred the oatmeal with rather more force then was necessary. She cooked because she enjoyed making her family happy, not because she was a girl. In fact in Narnia their head chef had been a man, as had most of his staff, and their army was full of women as well as men. Peter narrowed his eyes as his aunt in dislike. How dare she insult his sister, who had achieved more then this sour woman could ever dream of?

"Perhaps," he said softly, "your own food would not be so inedible had you spent less time worrying about what others thought and more caring for those you force to endure what you cook."

Alberta's head snapped up, her eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. "You ungrateful boy!" she hissed "You Peviensies got everything handed to you on a silver platter! We've taken in you and your siblings when no one else would have you! I'm sure Helen was glad to get rid of you while you lot were in the country! Finally gave the poor woman a chance to make something of herself! I don't know why she puts up with you." this would have gone on had Eustace not burst through the door that separated the kitchen and the living room with nary a care for the noise it made when it bounced off the wall behind it.

"Alberta!" He strode over to his mother, who's attention immediately focused on her son. Eustace paused and frowned. "You look awful." he noted, before returning to what bothered him. "The privy is clogged again, and I think there's a rat in the ceiling."

Eustace continued to complain to his mother while Susan put a calming hand on her brothers shoulder.

Aunt Alberta was constantly criticizing the Pevensies, delighting in finding anything wrong with them she could. Her favorite target was Susan, next to whom she seemed even plainer and unhappy looking then she was normally, and knew it. Aunt Alberta, Lucy noted was not a very happy woman, and delighted in making everyone else miserable too. Peter was often pushed to the very brink of his patience, and early mornings he was his least diplomatic, often letting a sharp retort slip from his mouth.

The noise from Eustace banging the door had woken the rest of the house, and Edmund and Lucy quickly found their way downstairs, Edmund making sure to pull out his sisters chair for her to sit before taking his own chair and thanking Susan as she set a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of hot cocoa in front of him and Lucy. Helen came down a few minutes later, Peter pulling out her chair, and with a longing look at her children's oatmeal, took the cereal box from it's place next to Eustace and poured her self a bowl, waving away Susan's silent offer of better food, and gave Susan a smile as she set a cup of tea before her.

Harold limped in to sit at the head of the table, helped himself to cereal and opened the paper he had fetched from outside, proceeding to ignore the rest of the table, utterly absorbed in its contents.

Susan and Peter finally took their seats, Peter giving Alberta a cold eye, and ate their breakfasts in strained silence, for the Scrubbs did not approve of talking at the breakfast table when people are eating.

-----

After breakfast Alberta and Harold headed off to work, Harold at his accountant job in the city, and Alberta to her secretarial job at a lawyers office near by. Eustace stayed home as it was summer and his parents did not believe in ordering their son anywhere. Helen went out to run some errand, leaving the children alone in the house. Edmund and Lucy set about cleaning the dishes, Susan had at the beginning tried to do it, but was out voted and made to enjoy the breakfast she made every morning while the others cleaned up. Peter didn't need to help that morning because he had helped her earlier, and so instead read the paper.

"France has surrendered." he said in quiet disbelief, not that it had occurred but that his uncle had not seen it worth mentioning at breakfast. Edmund raised his head from scrubbing a plate, Susan paled and Lucy darted to read over his shoulder. The events were distressing, they had left a country they had brought peace and justice to return to a world engulfed in a war that was at their very doorsteps, and now an alliy to their current country had surrendered. It was entirely too much.

The four finished the dishes with somber expressions and made their way upstairs, leaving the door to the girls room open a crack as was the rules when boys were inside.

"Peter, this tis far worse then anything we've faced. This is senseless, even the Witch didn't destroy everything as the Germans do! What point is there in destroying what you wish to rule?" Edmund murmured.

Peter shook his head. "I don't understand this world. I don't like it and I don't understand it." he sighed "We need to start researching as soon as possible, this is getting dangerous, we have a responsibility to Narnia, we shouldn't be here."

Lucy hugged her eldest brother warmly, trying to fight away the darkness falling on them all. "I think we should start with the painting." she said

Susan looked up. "It's not signed Lucy."

Edmund sprung from the bed, "Not on the front it isn't. But we haven't checked the back." He reached up and pulled down the painting of the ship and turned it. Brown paper met his eyes, and a name. "Jack Louis." he read the faded pencil, "1898, India." he frowned. "must have been a soldier there. Obviously European by the name."

Lucy clapped her hands and dropped lightly into Peters lap. "So we've at least a name and possible occupation to go on! That's far better then what we had to go through when Mr. Tumnus was giving us those historical scavenger hunts, do you remember?" she asked Susan who was smiling at the childish behavior of her youngest sibling who seemed not the least embarrassed to be at the mental age of 23 to be sitting on her older brothers lap like an 8 year old.

"True. Do you remember when Pitterpaw got lost in there?" she asked referring to a young mouse in the castle who had gotten very lost in the library.

"Didn't we find him asleep on a book of centarian hoof care?" Edmund asked with a wry grin.

"Yes, you and Peter found him-" Susan started

"Because you were avoiding your lessons with Amara!" Lucy finished with a giggle.

Peter playfully raised his nose and replied "It's hard work being High King you know. And Narnian feasts are not always as interesting as books on swords and battles."

Susan rolled her eyes at her comedic brother, and laughed as Lucy sat up to kiss him on his upturned nose. "Perhaps it t'would have been easier had you spent less time in the kitchens Peter?" she asked with a teasing smile, knowing perfectly well what Peters response would be and was already dodging out of his reach by the time he'd jumped to where she'd been, fingers out stretched to tickle his sister into submission.

Lucy jumped onto Peters back and laughed saying "Give me a ride Peter, please?"

Susan raised an eyebrow. "Lucy, by the Lion, you're a married woman and a queen, why on earth are you asking for rides?"

Lucy grinned. "I've decided that while being here is certainly not our choice, we might as well enjoy what we can. And I've not had a ride from Peter in years."

Edmund and Susan watched in amusement as their elder brother played with their youngest like a pair of hyperactive puppies before with a shrug Edmund jumped in too, attacking Peter who yelped that it was a coup and begged Susan to help him against their villainous siblings! Susan rolled her eyes but joined in too, and the four wrestled about on the floor laughing, tickling and turning on one another in turns so that sometimes Lucy would be tickled by three at once, and sometimes Edmund, but usually Peter, as he was the biggest and had more to reach. Eventually the four were left in a laughing, winded pile on the floor, hair mussed, and eyes full of laughter.

"By the Lion I needed that." Peter muttered into Edmund's back who elbowed him politely asking him to get off his royal person.

Susan smiled. "Yes, this world is much more sober and unhappy then home, I suppose Aslan hasn't been here? I haven't seen any signs of the Lion."

"The trees don't dance, and the animals don't talk. I tried to talk to a dog yesterday and he just sat there." Lucy said sadly.

"And I feel quite naked without my sword and crown. Not to mention how odd it is not to wake up to seven or eight children and nieces and nephews jumping on you." Edmund grinned at the memory.

"Or Lucy sometimes." Susan added, poking her sister teasingly, frowning slightly at a creak from outside the room, but was distracted.

"But there's always things going on!" Lucy protested in her own defense. "That time the centaurs foretold a hurricane, or when the Calormens were at the front gate and no one had gotten their letter telling us they were coming! Or when it was Senna's birthday and she'd not told us! I've good reason to jump on thy bed my Sister!"

"Indeed, and ye tend to take at least 3 various beings with ye wherever thou go." Susan pointed out with a laugh, falling into the old speech patterns. "Usually some dogs and cats, but dost thou remember when ye had that donkey foal following thee everywhere?"

"Saber! I miss him." Lucy chirped. "He tried to eat my cape when he was newly born, dost thou remember? And Mrs. Beaver told him that "No proper Narnians try to eat their monarchs cloaks!" I almost cried from laughing! And Gaudior finally put his foot down when Saber tried to sleep in our bedchamber. He still ended up spending the nights right outside our door for a while though!"

"You know, I believe that that little beast Eustace wouldst do well to be given to Orelius for a couple weeks?" Peter laughed "He wouldst certainly straighten him out!"

"Trying to force him to resign Peter?" Edmund replied, amused. "Not even Orelius could stand him! And he has the patience of a centaur who's followed the stars for centuries!"

"He's so foul. I can't believe he's related to us!" Susan murmured with a frown.

"I wasn't always so pleasant to be around if you'll remember." Edmund pointed out. Lucy hugged him around the middle. "Before Aslan gave his life for me."

"But you weren't always horrid. And we loved you Ed, even when you were horrid." she told him, her voice muffled from burying her face in his shoulder.

"Perhaps he only needs to grow up." Peter mused

"Or be taken prisoner by a wicked witch." Edmund murmured. "He is horrid though."

"At least I'm not delusional!" came a snobbish voice from the door. The four glanced up in surprise, Susan mentally smacking herself for not paying attention to the creak she'd heard earlier, which had obviously been Eustace. "What utter nonsense! Centaurs! Narnia! And you lot being rulers, now that's definitely never going to happen!" the unpleasant boy sneered. "Have you managed to make yourselves believe your own make believe?"

"It's real, not a game!" Lucy defended with a frown, unwilling to ever deny her country.

"Show it to me on a map then! Where are your crowns? Your servants? Centaurs aren't real! And trees don't move! You lot belong in an asylum, tied down and kept away from Decent society!" The six year old had his arms crossed and glared at his elder cousins with contempt. ""High King Peter!" ha! When I'm a member of Parliament you lot will be in the streets, and I'm going to deny knowing you! You and that stupid lion of yours!"

Peter stood, anger flowing around him like a cloud. He towered over his smaller cousin. He tried to view the boy as a minor annoyance. One that could be written off, was unimportant, that they'd dealt with obnoxious children before and he was no different. But then he'd insulted Aslan. And no one did that around the rulers of Narnia. No one!

Peter reached out with lightning quick reflexes grasping his repugnant cousin by the shoulder and forcing his back up to the wall at his height. "Apologize." he demanded. "Apologize Eustace to those here and for maligning the name of Aslan!"

Eustace squirmed and wriggled futilely in Peters grip, trying to get loose. "I won't apologize for anything!" he spat.

Edmund stood and walked to stand next to his brother. "You are out numbered and out matched Eustace. I would suggest you apologize for saying such horrible things in the presence of the Ladies." his eyes pierced the boy who appeared only two years his junior. Susan looked sad and Lucy glared at the boy.

"Apologize!" Peter ordered, shaking him.

"Sorry! Now let me go!" Eustace said and dropped to the floor with a thud.

Peter scowled. "Get out." he turned his back on Eustace and walked forward to view out the window, pointedly ignoring him.

"I would advise against listening at doors again Cousin. You may not like the consequences." Edmund said frigidly. Where Peter was fire, passion and anger, Edmund was cold. His anger was calculated, constant and clear. It was this that allowed him to be such a good judge, as he did not allow his emotions to get the best of him, but even he had his lines that should not be crossed, and insulting Aslan was one of them.

Eustace glanced at his cousins, Peter standing at the window, his feet spread and arms behind his back, Susan seated on the bed next to him her hands folded in her lap, Lucy glaring at him from the floor where she still sat with narrowed eyes, and Edmund like an unmovable statue before him, and it struck the six year old that perhaps there was something royal about his strange cousins. But he shrugged it off and backed out the door, and down the stairs, yelling out behind him "I'm telling Mum!"

Susan frowned. "You shouldn't have pinned him to the wall like that Peter." she said softly. "Do you suppose they're going to kick us out now?"

Peter scowled and didn't move from the window. "He insulted Aslant. What would you have had me do?" Susan could say nothing, for what Eustace had done was so beyond the pale that it would have caused them to do far worse had it happened in Narnia. It was only the boys ignorance that kept Peter from challenging the boy to a duel, or rather having Edmund do it, as Peter was physically six years Eustace's senior.

"I hope we DO leave!" Lucy said fiercely. "I hate it here. I hate her snipping at Susan, and him being such a little beast and all of their stupid "modern" ideas and fashionable trends and arrogance! They're worse then Rapadash ever was! I'd love nothing more then to have them disowned, the lot of them!"

"Lucy!" Susan frowned. "As awful as he is he's our cousin!"

"He's no cousin of mine!" She replied. "No one who insults Aslan has any favor with me! I denigh him relation!" and it was obvious the two kings agreed. Susan shook her head and gave it up as a bad job and hoped they wouldn't be sorry for their actions later.

As it turned out, they were.

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AN- Another chapter done! And not as long as the other ones! Sorry! ^^; Maybe I won't post this until I add more...hm.... so yeah, I brought in that little brat Eustace. I remembered in the Dawn Treader that he already knew about Narnia, so I figured he must have heard about it during an earlier visit, and so this is that visit. I find this family quite similar to the Dursleys, except that the Dursleys are concerned with being normal, while the Scrubbs are concerned with being forward thinking, and are completely awful by trying.

June 22 1940 was when France surrendered to Germany, so that was the paper Peter was reading about, although it was obviously the next day, or it wouldn't have been in the paper.

Jack Louis is of course, a play on C.S. Lewis's name, he was called Jack and Louis is pronounced Lewis. I tried to find any other names of people who'd gone before besides Poly and Digory, but none came out except for Mrs Lefay, Andrews fairy godmother, and she didn't strike me as the poetic type, besides which Narnia hadn't been created at that point. So I had to make up my own, and felt that a tribute to Lewis was required.

I tried to keep everyone in character, and show more of their character. Narnia is after all, not as stuffy as our world, and so they wouldn't have worried much about having a tickle fight, especially when they believed themselves to be alone. They also tried to keep their tempers with Eustace because he's only 6 but he pushed them to far, and as you can see, Peter didn't really hurt him.

Review please duckies!


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